Thrissur: WhatsApp' cops in students' need

Thrissur: In view of the ill treatment meted out to the school and college students by the private bus workers, Thrissur city police has come out with a WhatsApp number to which complaints can be filed by students or their parents. They can use the facility to register complaints against the persons who use abusive language or prevent students from boarding their buses. “Complaints can be sent to 7025930100. The other options for the students to alert the cops on issues regarding private buses include the control room number 100 and the pink police number 1515,” the official release of the city police here on Monday said.

City police officials said that as per the Motor Vehicles Rule, the no passenger would not be prevented from sitting on the seats of the public transport vehicles, while they are lying vacant. So, complaints can also be sent on the WhatsApp against the buses that do not allow students to be seated on their vehicles, they added. City police commissioner T. Narayanan said that stringent action would be taken against the private bus workers and owners, if they ill-treat students. “All school buses and vans carrying students need to get the police identification number and the workers in these vehicles need to get police clearance,” he noted. The autorickshaws carrying students need to register with the police stations concerned, he added.